Metabolic and Nutritional Food Typing

by Dr. Isabel Sharkar, ND

Do you ever feel like no matter what you eat, you just don’t feel satisfied? Do you feel like you are doing your best to eat “right” but your body is just not responding the way you hoped? It’s likely because you just aren’t eating right for your metabolic and nutritional food type.

The way you metabolize food is dependent on your genetics and how you handle chronic stress. One size does not fit all and what you eat is only specific for you and your body. So, it’s time to quit chasing the latest diet fad like vegan, vegetarian, raw, paleo, pegan, keto and more.

Your metabolic and nutritional food type is determined by your genetic ability to metabolize various foods into energy. The pioneers of progressing nutrition in the right direction include Weston A. Price, William Kelley, Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez and Dr. Joseph Mercola. They all understand that individual metabolism varies greatly due to two factors: the autonomic nervous system (ANS) dominance and the rate of cellular oxidation.

There are two branches in the ANS—the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). One branch tends to be more dominant than the other and it is important to know which one dominates for you. The rate of cellular oxidation determines which cells convert food into energy. Some people are fast oxidizers and can rapidly convert food into energy. To counteract this, foods like protein and fat provide sustained energy. Whereas, slow oxidizers convert food into energy at a slower rate and are able to better tolerate carbohydrates over protein and fat.

Food provides each of us with the building blocks the body needs to be healthy. However, with the chronic stress epidemic we face today, it is important to understand the way each body metabolizes food. All of us do not have the same nutritional requirements. Your inner biochemistry and physiology require unique things for you.

To improve your meal satisfaction with smaller portions of food, quit snacking easily and say goodbye to food cravings, read on. There are three basic types of human metabolism: protein type, carb type and mixed type metabolism. It is possible to improve your relationship to food and feel better by making the right food choices for your metabolic and nutritional food type. Not only is there an emphasis on food quality, but it is important to know the best way to cook your food, to eating consciously and to practice the right food combinations.

The major differences between protein, carb and mixed metabolism types include:

PROTEIN TYPE

Strong appetites

They think about food even when they’re not hungry

They don’t do well with fasting

Don’t feel well if they skip a meal

Eating sugar and refined carbs will stimulate their cravings for more

Cravings for fatty, salty foods are more satisfying

They feel hungry most of the time if they eat low-fat or vegetarian diets

It is very possible for food to give you peaceful energy, relaxed alertness, emotional poise and great mental clarity. Metabolic and nutritional food typing is good for those that do not feel satisfied with their meals, have cravings especially for sugar, have frequent and intense hunger, experience mood swings, brain fog, low energy, anxiety, depression, prone to addictions, prone to being overweight or underweight, and experiencing degenerative diseases.

To learn more about your own metabolic food type, visit Metabolictyping.com.

Dr. Isabel Sharkar is a licensed naturopathic physician and co-owner of the Indigo Integrative Health Clinic, in Georgetown. For more information, call 202-298-9131 or visit IndigoHealthClinic.com.